| Show Savings o of Farmers Will Help Sustain P Postwar var ost B Business Professor Advocates Postponing of Purchases Of Land Laud and Equipment In the matter of postwar employment employment employment employ employ- ment agriculture is different from many other lines Iines of industry H H. H C. C Case head of the department of agricultural economics at the University University University Uni Uni- of Illinois stated in an address address address ad ad- dress before the summer conference conference confer confer- ence of the Illinois county farm ad ad- visors Much fuch of industry was converted converted converted con con- for the production of war munitions and stopped normal production Agriculture on the other other other oth oth- er hand did not greatly change its type of production but intensified production along the same lines The proportions of crops and livestock livestock live live- stock produced were changed but butin butin butin in general we have produced the same kinds of products This leads directly to the question of postwar employment Many people expect new jobs for returned servicemen in agriculture There will not be many new jobs in agriculture Case said There will be lie many replacements Many farmers because of the shortage of labor have continued farming longer long long- er than they intended Some will remain on the farm but they will want someone to take their place when it comes to heavy farm work Many boys are becoming old enough to take a mans man's place on the farm unless more of them continue in school longer than in the past Some makeshift farm hands have been found in the present labor emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency who under normal conditions would not be on farms After they are replaced by competent farm workers there will not be many new jobs available Modern 1 improvements improvements improvements improve improve- ments have continued to make possible possible possible pos pos- sible an increased output per worker work work- er in agriculture resulting in a 50 per cent increase in output per worker over the past 30 years Few New Farm Jobs Although there is little opportunity opportunity opportunity for an increase in the number of jobs in agricultural production accumulated saving of the people of the country of almost 00 billion dollars dollars dol- dol lars fars by the end of 1944 will help sustain production provided these savings are not dissipated by competing competing competing com com- with others for the purchase of a limited amount of goods leading leading leading lead lead- ing only to inflation Only by preventing preventing preventing pre pre- venting serious inflation can we swing into balanced production in inthe inthe inthe the postwar period Case Case said He pointed out that financial reserves of farmers coupled with the needs I for goods should help sustain high production It is significant that inthe in inthe inthe the period from 1937 to 1940 agriculture agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture with approximately 10 per percent percent percent cent of our national income expended expended expended ex ex- ex- ex about 14 per cent of the new outlay for producers' producers goods This I is just one indication of the dependence dependence de de- de- de upon upon agriculture to bring prosperous conditions in the postwar postwar postwar post post- war period During the period 1937 to 1940 it has been estimated that farmers spent about a billion dollars dollars dollars dol dol- dol- dol lars a year for producers' producers goods I that is buildings machinery and other production goods Any reasonable calculation of the agricultural market for farm production production production pro pro- would indicate that in the postwar period we could greatly expand expand expand ex ex- our purchases of production goods that is machinery buildings and breeding stock for a period of five years or longer Our agricultural agricultural agricultural tural population has the income or savings with which to make these purchases Can they hold their savings savings savings sav sav- ings for the purpose which will mean the most to agriculture Most of it will be taken away if they buy land at high prices and assume large mortgage indebtedness On the other hand if land values could be held at reasonable levels much of these savings could be used to add to needed farm improvements |
